The chief constable of North Wales has intervened in the row between Home Secretary David Blunkett and Humberside chief constable David Westwood by claiming the Home Office is to blame for many of the failings identified by the Bichard inquiry into the handling of Soham murderer Ian Huntley.

Westwood's position was thrown into doubt after Sir Michael Bichard highlighted the failure of Humberside police to keep records of allegations of sexual assault against Huntley before he moved to the Cambridgeshire town.

However, the North Wales police chief Richard Brunstrom says the inquiry report directed much of its criticism at successive Home Secretaries for their 'lack of leadership'. The report criticised the Home Office for failing to set up a national intelligence database containing information about allegations and charges against individuals that could be shared across forces.

Brunstrom said yesterday: 'It is a fact that a significant number of the 31 recommendations in the Bichard report apply to the Home Office and Home Secretary, not to the police.

'Bichard points out quite categorically that there has been 10 years of a lack of leadership from the Home Office in resolving these issues. I rather wish that some more people from the Home Office were standing up and taking responsibility for this.'

The intervention will lead to further speculation that the Home Secretary attacked Westwood to distract attention from criticism of himself.

Blunkett aides retorted: 'He makes it very clear that the Home Office accepts it share of responsibility, along with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the APA [Association of Police Authorities] because it was a tripartite decision not to go ahead with the computer system in 2000,' said one source close to the Home Secretary.

The Observer understands Blunkett will not hesitate to sack Westwood or force him to retire . The Association of Chief Police Officers refused to enter the row this weekend, saying that it stood by the statement of President Chris Fox on Tuesday which failed to give full backing to Westwood or Blunkett.

The chief constables are thought to be split, with some believing Westwood should have resigned and others critical of the Home Secretary.